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Name:
Nicholas Atwood
What office are you seeking?
What is your political party?
Democrat
What is your current age?
38
Occupation and employer:
Attorney - Office of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor; Adjunct Professor - Northern Illinois University College of Law
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
This is my first run for public office.
City:
Campaign Website:
Find me on Facebook at: Nicholas Atwood for D428 School Board
Education:
B.A. History Education (Professional Educator License) - Western Illinois University
J.D. Northern Illinois University College of Law
Community Involvement:
Northern Illinois University College of Law Alumni Council
AFSCME Local #3608 Executive Board
DeKalb Park District Government Efficiency Committee Member - 2023
Marital status/Immediate family:
Married - 1 child
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
There are a variety of factors that contribute to the District’s current scores, some of which are simply out of the District’s control, such as the high poverty rate and chronic absenteeism, which data has shown adversely affect student achievement. I believe the District has already identified elements that are within its control, such as the reduction of classroom size and the recruitment of classroom aids, both of which have been improving and will be improved further with the opening of Mitchell Elementary. As a Board member, I would support continuing to prioritize the recruitment and retention of classroom aids to assist teachers and provide greater individualized attention.
DeKalb County public schools asked voters in November to support an up to 1% sales tax which officials said would have gone to help pay for needed things such as infrastructure work. The referendum was voted down. What ideas do you have to address aging buildings and infrastructure needs for your school district while not overburdening taxpayers?
The budget currently allocates funds for capital outlay projects, which would include maintenance and repairs to existing facilities. To the extent possible, I believe the Board should proceed incrementally in identifying and prioritizing needed repairs and facility upgrades. The best strategy to avoid overburdening the taxpayer is to seek out available grants for facility repairs and to incrementally increase the infrastructure budget. In the current political climate, the Board must proceed cautiously with the allocation of funds due to the possibility that less federal funding (which makes up approximately 9% of the budget) may be available in the future.
Fiscal responsibility is an important part of elected roles, and a priority for voters. Do you believe the school district budget needs trimming? Why or why not? If you were to cut, where would you do it?
Currently, the District’s revenues exceed its expenditures. As a result, I have no plans to trim the budget. However, if circumstances required that cuts needed to be made, I would advocate for a holistic approach to reviewing the budget, giving priority to preserving resources related to classroom instruction and curriculum.
Illinois, like many districts across the nation, is facing significant teacher shortages. What is your idea to recruit and retain educators, including special education, dual-language teachers, etc.
Teaching is a noble profession. The professionals we entrust with our children’s education should be well compensated for their vitally important work. If we want to recruit and retain quality teachers, we must offer competitive salaries relative to neighboring districts of our size. In recent years, the District has utilized social media for recruitment purposes, which I believe is a worthwhile endeavor. As a Board member, I would advocate for the District making more of an effort to promote the lower cost of living in DeKalb relative to other cities in northern Illinois when recruiting potential educators to the district.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
I have a four-year-old son who will attend school in the District.
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
I believe the school board should rely on the advice of the educational professionals employed by the District when making curriculum determinations. The Board should ensure, at a minimum, that the curriculum matches the guidelines and benchmarks set out by the Illinois State Board of Education, while also offering curriculum and materials that are relevant to the individual needs and interests of our students. While I respect a parent’s right to restrict their child from accessing materials that are not required reading for their coursework, I firmly support every child’s right to learn and explore new concepts. As a result, I also support the recent Illinois law that outlawed the banning of books from public school libraries.
Most of local residents' property taxes go to their school districts. Are taxes paid to your school district too high? What would you do to protect the interests of taxpayers?
I think the question of whether property taxes are “too high” will vary considerably depending on individual circumstances. Certainly, some folks who don’t have children attending schools in the District could reasonably “double take” at the school portion of the property taxes when they look at their bill.
In contrast, residents with children attending schools in the District could reasonably believe they’re receiving an excellent value for the amount they pay. Regardless of where a person stands, as a school board member, I represent all of the people living within the District, and the cost to the taxpayer is one of several factors that must be considered. While some situations may arise where a tax increase is unavoidable, I believe the role of a responsible board member is to plan for future expenses and set aside funds annually in anticipation of major projects or expenses, as well as borrowing funds when rates are not prohibitive.
Most of the COVID relief money from the federal government is coming to an end. What spending adjustments does your school district need to make to address that?
D428 has done a commendable job utilizing COVID ESSER funds for technology and facility upgrades as well as instructional spending related to the transition out of the COVID disruption. The amount of funds utilized each year has decreased but still represents several million dollars in our most recent budget. I would work with the Board and District finance officers to determine the extent ESSER funds were incorporated into future budgetary planning and what, if any, programs will be impacted by the absence of ESSER funds.
Should Title IX cover sexual orientation or gender identity? What are your views on the use of locker rooms and bathrooms by transgender students and their participating in sports?
Regarding sports, I think the District must comply with IESA and IHSA guidelines. The IESA and IHSA allow students to participate in sports based upon their gender identity, provided certain procedures and a review process is initiated by the participant school with the IESA and IHSA.
Regarding Title IX, I am against discrimination of any kind, including based on gender identity. As an attorney, my instinct is always to follow the law, but the courts have yet to resolve this issue. As a result, schools have been provided limited guidance as to how to navigate this novel & complex issue. I have read regulatory guidance from the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and I recognize there are valid concerns for children on all sides of the issue: the right to equal access to public facilities vs. the individual privacy expectations of children. I am not an expert on gender issues. Thus, as a Board member, I am open to hearing from experts, administrators, teachers, students, and the public at large for guidance.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
Schools are supposed to be “safe places” for children. I believe the current administration’s Executive Order removing historical guidelines that protected certain sensitive areas, like schools, from ICE and CBP immigration enforcement operations is abhorrent. However, the District is limited in its ability to resist such actions if federal agents present a judicial warrant. I support the steps the District has already taken to provide staff guidance and resources for dealing with federal agents.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
1. Uncertainty regarding future revenue from property taxes and federal funds
2. The achievement gap between low-income and non-low-income students
3. Reducing class size
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
I agree with the District’s current policy of prohibiting cell phones in classroom environments and other sensitive spaces, e.g. locker rooms, bathrooms, etc. Phones should be kept inside of lockers except during the lunch period.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
The evidence that cell phones represent a serious disruption to the learning environment is incontrovertible. In contrast, studies on school safety support the notion that student access to cell phones improves outcomes in emergencies. School administrators, teachers, and crisis management personnel should carry cell phones as an emergency management tool.
I think using cell phones as a teaching tool has merit, and I would defer to individual teachers to determine when and how to incorporate technology into their lesson plans and manage the use of cell phones appropriately.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
I believe the school policy on cyberbullying complies with all facets of the Illinois School Code. The policy is thoughtful and should be implemented whenever bullying has occurred. Likewise, the student code of conduct for D428 prohibits accessing inappropriate content on cell phones and other smart devices. I would address those concerns by deferring to the appropriate school personnel to enforce District guidelines and take appropriate remedial measures.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
The incorporation of AI tools into modern society is inevitable, and to prevent students from exploring its application would be a disservice to their personal and professional development, as many occupations are adopting and incorporating AI into their operations. Employed effectively, AI can significantly enhance individual student learning potential. As a result, schools should begin to incorporate the responsible use of AI as a tool to enhance student learning and explore its application. To that end, educators within the district should strive to prevent its use in the context of academic dishonesty and develop “AI proof” assignments.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
All District financial reports should be available through a prominently placed link on the main webpage for D428. I think the District does a good job of including PowerPoint presentations on the website that provide an easy-to-understand overview of District finances and annual budgets.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
My platform for election to the Board incorporates three principles: Transparency, Accountability, and Community. Those principles will guide my decision-making in all facets. As a Board member, I encourage all parents, teachers, students, and community members to reach out to me with their concerns, comments, and suggestions. I will consider this information along with Illinois State Board of Education curriculum guidelines and the suggestions of school leadership when curriculum and policy changes are being discussed amongst the Board.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
The availability of books in school libraries and classrooms should comport with Illinois State Board of Education guidelines as well as book selection guidelines developed by D428 librarians and the teaching and learning curriculum team.
I do not believe partisan politics should inform decisions regarding school curricula and the availability of books in school libraries. As a result, I supported Public Act 103–0100, which penalized the banning of books based on partisan or doctrinal disapproval in school libraries with loss of state grant fund eligibility. Book availability in school
However, if a book that was subject to required reading as part of the curriculum were to be challenged, I believe parents (not advocacy groups) have a right to be heard. In such instances, there should be a review process for a challenged work that considers objective criteria. Regarding the availability of books in the school library that are not required reading, I do not believe the collection should be censored. Those individuals who do not agree with the presence of certain works should simply instruct their child not to check out the book.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Our District professionals are in the best position to observe what works and what does not work. As a result, I would defer to teachers and school administrators for recommendations regarding strategies for maintaining appropriate class sizes.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
I believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring. I see employment postings online as well as on social media. I also believe it was wise of the District to seek out and implement student-teaching agreements with various universities in Illinois and elsewhere as a recruiting tool.
I do believe the District could do a better job of working with the City of DeKalb to promote living and working in DeKalb, especially as home prices and the cost of living in DeKalb are more affordable than in other suburban communities. By way of example, in my neighborhood, approximately 20 homes have been built in the last year, and the developer anticipates a total of 88 new homes will be built within two years. The vast majority of my new neighbors are moving from communities east of DeKalb due to the affordable cost of homes in our community. The District should seize upon this opportunity.
As far as allocating enough resources for teachers, this question is a top priority of mine. If we aren’t giving our teachers the resources they need to effectively educate our students; what are we doing here? If elected to the Board, I plan to visit every school in the District to speak with teachers, students, and staff regarding what resources they have, what they need, and what they want in an “ideal” world. Then, it would be my responsibility as a Board member to plan for the allocation of those resources in a manner that improves student success in a fiscally sustainable way.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I believe it is important to be accessible and accountable to my constituents, as we have been entrusted with the honor of overseeing the education of the children living in our community, as well as the duty to allocate their tax dollars responsibly. As a Board member, I am accountable to the students, teachers, staff, administration, and community at large for my decisions because we are all affected in different ways by these high-stakes decisions. As such, I will listen to what my constituents have to say, and I will give appropriate consideration to their thoughts, ideas, and opinions as part of my decision-making process.
In addition to active listening during the public comment section of all Board meetings, I will always be available through the official Board email address and in person after Board meetings. I will be diligent in responding to individual correspondence. If my constituents want to understand my reasoning for a decision, I believe they are owed an explanation.